Art and Joy

As already stated, art is the creation of beauty, namely, the creation of joy. Then, what is joy? According to the Divine Principle, “Joy arises when we have an object partner in which our internal nature and external form are reflected and developed. Our object partner helps us to feel our own internal nature and external form through the stimulation it gives. This object partner may be intangible or it may be substantial” (DP, 33). Thus, joy arises when the Sungsang and Hyungsang of an object partner resemble those of the subject.

As explained in Ontology and Epistemology, the human being is an encapsulation of the universe; therefore, all the Sungsangs and Hyungsangs of the universe exist in latent form within the human body. Consequently, when we recognize a flower, for example, we are already equipped with the prototypes of the color, form, softness, etc. of the flower. When we experience, through give and receive action, that the prototype is in full accord with the color, form, softness, etc, of the actual flower, we recognize it as a certain flower. The feeling of joy arises from that accordance. Therefore, if we want to appreciate the beauty of an object, we must first have the prototype in our mind.

Then, how does a prototype arise? The first requisite is one’s purity of mind. If one’s mind is pure, prototypes will come to the surface naturally. The second requisite is education. Through a theoretical study and appreciation of the various forms of beauty, the prototypes within one’s subconsciousness are more easily stimulated and come to surface awareness.

Resemblance in Sungsang

A resemblance in Sungsang refers to the instance wherein subject and object resemble each other, either totally or partially, in terms of their thought, plan, individuality, taste, education, heart, and so on. Among these, a resemblance in thought is particularly important. When one finds within one’s object a thought similar to one’s own thought, the object appears beautiful. Therefore, if one’s thinking is broad and penetrating, he or she will be able to appreciate a broader scope of joy, commensurate to that, and be deeply moved.

Thus, resemblance in Sungsang refers to the resemblance between the artist’s Sungsang, which is contained in an art work, and the appreciator’s Sungsang: namely, the resemblance in their heart, thought, and so on.

Resemblance in Hyungsang

The Hyungsang of an object refers to its physical elements, which we perceive with our five senses: the form, color, sound, odor, etc. of a thing. When these elements come into accord with the prototypes within us, we can appreciate beauty and feel joyful.

As will be explained in epistemology, the external world is an extension of the human mind. Accordingly, a human being has all the elements of the external world as prototypes in his or her mind. That is, the Hyungsang elements such as form, color, sound, odor, etc. of all things or art works already exist within us as prototypes in contracted forms. That is what is referred to as resemblance in Hyungsang. When those elements―the physical elements of an object and the prototypes within us―come into accord, and our emotion is stimulated, we obtain joy.

Another aspect of resemblance, which is also a cause of joy, is complementarity. This refers to the instance wherein the subject feels joy by finding within the object some aspect which is absent within the subject. For example, a man is pleased to find grace and beauty in a woman, qualities which he lacks.

There are two reasons for this kind of joy. First, a human being alone can not become a complete being. Human beings were created in pairs: man, who has God’s Yang characteristics, and woman, who has His Yin characteristics. When man and woman unite, they come to resemble the harmony of God’s dual characteristics. This accords with how human beings were originally created. This complementary nature can be regarded as a kind of resemblance. Every one has within one’s subconsciousness an image of what one lacks and which one wishes to be supplemented with. When one actually faces an object which matches that image, one feels joy, since the element one lacks is then supplemented. In this case also, the object resembles the image within the mind of the appreciator. Thus, complementarity is a kind of resemblance.

Second, God created human beings in such a way that they possess one of God’s Individual Images; therefore, a man or a woman feels joy through engaging in give and receive action with others and finding within them that which is lacking in himself or herself. The beauty felt in this case is based on complementarity, which is a kind of resemblance, in a broader sense. God, the One, manifests Himself as paired beings of yang and yin, and as innumerable beings of individuality. Hence, we feel joy when we unite, becoming more perfect beings. As another example, two separate things, a desk and a chair, become a perfect being (set) by complementing each other. To become a perfect being means that the purpose of creation is fulfilled, bringing about satisfaction and joy. In order for complementarity to be established, there must be resemblance in a deeper dimension, at the root. No beauty or joy can arise from mere differences without commonality, namely, a common purpose or resemblance. ⁵